Reacquainted Souls: Part Six

by Kerri G.

"Doncha think ya better ask her if she wants to be tested or even join before ya start pickin' out china patterns?" Logan asked. "Maybe she don' want to be part of this circus."

Jean, Scott and Xavier were talking in the study. Xavier was still trying to find the best way to recruit Charlotte for the team. Truth was, nearly everyone that came here *needed* to be here. They were looking for something, either help with their powers, acceptance, or just plain wanting to feel a part of a group, a family. There was nothing here that Charlotte needed, nothing they could offer her.

"First we have to determine whether or not she's a danger to herself or anyone else," the ever practical Cyclops murmured, almost to himself.

"She made it through three centuries without yer help," Logan's voice took on a dark tone. "Ya got a new mutant fall in yer lap an' ya want her so bad ya forget she's got a choice?" His hands clenched into meaty fists. "Ask her first."

Xavier knew he was right and felt ashamed of his thoughts. It was just that the possibilities were so...intriguing. He apologized, closing his eyes, and used his psi talent to locate Charlotte.

He frowned. "I can't find her. She doesn't appear to be on the estate," he told them.

Jean took a turn. "He's right, Scott. I can't sense her thought signature. She's either gone or unconscious."

Xavier put out a call. <Has anyone seen Charlotte?>

Logan started from the room, barreling into Bishop. More like plowed into the bigger man.

"She's missin', we got to find her," he said tightly to the security officer. "I thought yer keepin' an eye on her."

"She's not gone, she's outside in the garden," Bishop answered. "I just left her there." He looked at Xavier inquiringly.

"I did a psi scan for her and couldn't find her," he told Bishop.

"I heard and came to tell you where she was. It's the medallion she wears," Bishop explained. "You couldn't find her because it completely masks her presence." Surely he would know the effects of the talisman she wore.

Logan dashed to the back and looked out the window. Sure enough, he could see her on the swing hanging from the huge old oak. He returned to the study. "Yeah, she's out there." He fixed Xavier with a glare. "Ya ask her first." He left the room to join Charlotte outside.

Cyclops turned to Bishop. "You seem to know a lot more than you told us," he accused. "What's going on here?"

"I wouldn't worry," Bishop said, "she'll join your team."

"You haven't been up front about anything," Scott continued. "You're letting us stumble around when you have the information we need. I don't like it."

Bishop favored him with a cold, impersonal stare. "You don't have to like it, or me. I'll do my job the best way I know, the way I was trained. Learn to deal with it." He left.

Bobby and Jubilee watched Logan leave the mansion to join Charlotte by the old swing. Eyes dancing with unholy glee, Bobby led the teen up the back stairs to his room.

"I've been saving this one for Warren and Betsy, but, hey, no time like the present to welcome a new team member." He reached up in the closet and took down a box. He lifted the lid, showing her the dozens of large bells.

"I figure we can hook 'em on underneath the bed," he told her.

Jubilee looked at him in amazement. "Wolvie is gonna kill you," she breathed. "Let's go."

The two pranksters crept up the next flight of stairs, doing their level best to be sneaky. Slipping into the darkened room, Jubilee reached for the light switch.

"No!" Bobby hissed in a stage whisper. "No lights. They might see them from outside. Keep watch at the door."

She cracked the door a tiny bit, looking up and down the hall.

Bobby crawled underneath the bed, using ornament hangers to attached the bells to the mattress frame. Jubilee heard the faint jingles coming from the bed as he worked furiously.

Finally he slid out, dusting his clothes. "All done."

"Is it gonna work?"

"Yeah, but only when the bed gets to really shaking. It'd be no good if she just sat on it and heard the noise. I wonder if they'll even notice," he smothered a laugh. "Let's get out of here before we get caught."

They crept back out, holding back the giggles, to find a place to wait for the coming show.

"Ya look all shook up," Logan told Charlotte. He leaned against the tree and lit his cigar.

"I suppose I do," she swung slowly back and forth.

"What was Bishop talkin' to ya 'bout?"

"Well, we cleared up how he knows me." She looked over at him. "He says I'm one of the elders that sent him here."

Logan considered that silently.

"He seems glad to see me, yet not happy I'm here. I want to shake the answers out of him, but I'm afraid of what I'll see. I don't know if I dare." She stood up, stretching. "I think I'll turn in."

He fell into step with her, lacing his fingers with hers. "Where'd Jeannie put ya?"

"Next to you, I'm told. How....convenient."

He caught her grin in the patio lights. He matched it with one of his own. "Remind me to thank her later."

Later, all thoughts of thanking Jean were gone, along with every other coherent thought in his head. He had stopped thinking altogether.

True to her word, she tied him to her bed, the silken bounds holding him while she took her time, caressing, touching, kissing, biting. She found all his sensitive places and played them with his full cooperation and groaning approval. She took handfuls of her silky hair and rubbed his body.

He didn't know how long this had been going on, didn't care. He only knew that he had never been so hard in his life, had never had a woman do things like this to him. Every nerve ending burned, only soothed with the touch of her body, soothed and inflamed all at once.

Charlotte settled on top of him and reached down to release his legs. He felt the bounds relax, felt himself push instinctively into her welcoming heat, and lost any pretense of bondage. The scarves holding his wrists ripped as he rolled with her, moving hard and fast, swallowing her gasp of surprise in a bruising kiss.

Dimly he thought he heard bells through the pounding of blood in his ears as he rocked into her again and again, losing even that thread of thought when she went up in flames in his arms, her climax hitting her hard, her skin flashing hot. It took him with her, a roar escaping him.

He collapsed on her, her arms encircling him, holding him tightly. After a long minute, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him.

When her breathing slowed, Charlotte pressed kisses against his damp skin, rubbing her face in his chest hair. "I'm going to tie you up more often," she promised. "I could've sworn I heard bells."

"Me too, darlin'."

After a more few minutes, spent caressing her, the torn silk fluttering around his wrists, rational thought returned with a vengeance. "Ya heard bells?"

"Mmm. You're good, don't let anyone ever tell you different."

With a frown he moved out from under her and peered under the bed. "I'll kill 'im. This time I'll kill 'im."

Charlotte rolled over to the other side and looked under. "Are those bells? Real bells?"

"Yeah, an' I can still smell Bobby under here."

Charlotte did a quick mind sweep. "He's out in the hall with Jubilee." She began to laugh. "This is good."

At his sour look a fit of giggles took her over. She laughed until she was helpless on the floor.

He got to his feet. "I'm gonna take care of this now."

"No, no, wait," she choked out. "Don't. This could be fun."

He began to smile and scooped her off the floor, nestling back on the bed with her. "Ya think so, huh?"

"He's expecting you to run out there, hoping he'll embarrass us both. I'm not embarrassed. Are you?"

"No." His arms tightened around her. "It is pretty funny," he admitted.

"Let's ignore him until he brings it up. *Then* you can kill him if you still want to. In the meantime-," she drew his head down for a long kiss."

Charlotte found her way down to the kitchen the next morning in search of coffee. Her eyes were shadowed, her hair finger combed back in wild abandon. She had slipped on Logan's shirt and nothing else. He was still asleep in her bed.

Hank, Jean and Scott sat around the table talking quietly. They looked up when she entered, Hank too polite to comment on her appearance, Jean holding back the laughter and Scott looking away uncomfortably.

"Good morning," she told them breezily. "I've come for coffee."

"Betsy got us all appointments at the spa for 10:00 am. We'll need to leave here around 9:00 if we want to make it into the city on time," Jean said.

"Sounds good." She poured the coffee, inhaling the aroma with true pleasure, a coffee fiend from *way* back. She smiled Hank. "You still want my body?"

"Later this afternoon will be fine," he answered.

Jean and Scott gave them both confused looks.

"I intend to perform a physical examination on our guest," Hank explained.

"Doesn't he make it sound like fun?" Charlotte winked at the other woman. "Can't wait." With a wave she was gone.

"I've got to get ready, too," Jean added, planting a kiss on Scott's cheek. "I'll let you know if I find out anything useful in between the sauna and the facial."

At 9:00 am sharp Charlotte made her way down to the garage. Storm and Jean were waiting. Rogue and Betsy were late.

"They're always late," Jean told her. "You get used to it."

"I have to get used to being around people again," Charlotte said. "It's just been me and the tribe history for quite a while now."

The late members of their impromptu party arrived in time to hear her statement.

"You've seemed to come out of your shell well enough," Betsy drawled, as well as her clipped accent would allow. "Jingle bells?"

Charlotte laughed. She really wasn't embarrassed. Betsy laughed with her.

"What's the joke?" Jean asked.

"I saw Bobby and Jubilee hanging around in the hallway outside of her room last night," Betsy explained. "They ran off, but then I could hear bells coming from inside her room."

"Someone," Charlotte's eyes twinkled, "hung bells underneath the bed on the box springs. That's one of the more imaginative jokes I've come across in a long time. I can't wait to try it out myself. I think I'll leave them there while I plot my revenge."

"Now we'll be afraid to walk down that hall," Jean said.

Logan entered the kitchen feeling rather calm and relaxed. He sat at the table considering his breakfast options over coffee when Bobby entered the room.

To his credit, the young mutant faltered only a moment before plastering a smile on his face. Logan decided he was too content with the world this morning and would allow Bobby to suffer awhile longer. "Mornin'," he told him mildly.

A pleasant Logan was more than the Iceman could deal with. He quickly got what he came for and left.

Logan grinned evilly. Damn, but she was right. This could be fun, and all he had to do was continue to make love to *his* lady in her own bed. What could be better?

End.

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